Shaq News
Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant closes Fort Worth location after 2 years
Big Chicken sandwiches and sides
A chicken restaurant with celebrity ties has closed: Big Chicken, the fried chicken concept from sports celeb Shaquille O'Neal, closed its location in Fort Worth's Alliance area at 9755 North Fwy., in the Victory Shops at Heritage Trace.
The closure occurred in June, after nearly two years; it opened with much fanfare in September 2024.
Fort Worth was the latest in a wave of Big Chicken shutters, following all three locations in Houston, which closed in February, plus Lubbock, Las Vegas, Tacoma, Valencia (California), Tennessee, and Lake City, Florida.
The only remaining Texas location is at Moody Center in Austin.
O'Neal, the basketball Hall of Famer, co-founded Big Chicken in 2018 with a menu inspired by his childhood favorites: fried chicken sandwiches and tenders with a pale, peppery battered crust, Cheez-It crusted mac & cheese, fries, and shakes.
Signature items included the "ultimate sandwich" with chicken, mac & cheese, and crispy fried onions; and a Nashville Hot chicken sandwich. Other dishes included popcorn chicken, and an unusual grilled cheese sandwich on rustic Italian bread. Their fries were thick-cut steak fries which came either seasoned, or else in a "dirty" loaded option topped with cheese sauce, bacon, and BBQ sauce.
The Fort Worth location opened in a partnership with entrepreneurs Frank Malik, Fazil Malik, and Noordin Jhaver, who also operated the three Big Chicken restaurants in Houston. However, business dropped off after the first year, and they parted ways with the concept in 2025. According to a spokesperson from the group, the Fort Worth location was then taken over by corporate partner Craveworthy Brands, who did not respond to a request for comment.
A story in The Chron blamed the Big Chicken closures on "franchise operator issues, lease expirations, or market struggles," but the brand continues to open locations in other states including one that just opened in Maryland.
Meanwhile, O'Neal has been a DFW local of sorts since 2022, when he purchased his first Dallas-area home in Carrollton. He currently owns a home in Heath, in Rockwall County, and this past weekend, was spotted cruising Lake Ray Hubbard in a custom-made 1964 Chevrolet Impala car boat.
